Trolley-guard



(No Model.)

H. PHENDRIGKS & J. H. BENTON. TROLLEY GUARD.

No. 597,282. Patented Jan. 11, 1898,

[Ill WWW! U ITED STATES P TENT @rrrca HENRY F. HENDRICKS AND JAMES H. DENTON, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENN- SYLVANIA, ASSIGN'ORS TO JAMES H. BATES, OF SOMERSET, KENTUCKY.

TROLLEY-GUARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentNo. 597,282, dated January 1 1, 1898.

Application filed September 12, 1896. Serial No. 605,586. (No model.) 7

To coZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that We, HENRY F. HENDRICKS and J AMES H. DENTGN, citizens of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trolley-Guards, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in trolley-guards, and has for its object to provide a device which may be readily attached to the fork of an ordinary trolley-pole, and when so attached will overcome the liability which has heretofore existed of the trolley-wheel leaving the feedwire over which it travels,and especially when said wheel is passing a crossing where two feed-wires intersect each other at an angle.

YVith these ends in view this invention consists in the details of construction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth,and then specifically designated by the claims.

In order that those skilled in the. art to which this invention appertains may understand how to make and use the same, its construction and operation will now be described, referring to the accompanying drawings, forminga part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the upper portion of a trolley-fork, showing this improvenient attached thereto and illustrating its relative position to the feed-wire and crossing; and Fig. 2 a plan view of the trolley-fork and crossing, showing the star-wheels in section.

Referring to the drawings in detail, Arepresents the trolley-fork, which may be of any ordinary construction, and B the trolleywheel, journaled therebetween in the usual manner. To this fork is secured, by means of the journal-bolt G, two brackets D, which may be provided with offsets E of such shape as to fiton edge of each of the prongs of the fork, so as to resist the downward strain brought to bear upon the brackets when the trolley is traveling upon its feed-wire. Be-

tween these brackets is journaleda roll F, and upon the outside of each of the brackets is also journaled a star-wheel G, the bolt H serving to journal both the roll and the stal wheels. From this it will be seen that as a trolley provided with this improvement travels along its feed-wire the star-wheels will perform no function, but rest idly until coming into contact with the crossing, as shown at I, when as the trolley-wheel passes under said crossing the star-wheels will engage with the inclined leaders J, that lie at right angles to the feed-wire upon which the trolley is travcling, and act as gear-wheels meshing with a rack-bar,thereby preventing the trolley-wheel from jumping off its feed-wire when passing from one leader to the other.

In practice it will be found that the starwheels will not only serve to hold the trolley in its proper relative position to the feed-wire when passing a crossing, but will likewise prevent said wheel from jumping its wire when turning curves, and by the assistance of the roll F will also prevent the trolley wheel from leaving its feed-wire when not turning curves or passing crossings, since the roll forms a secondary trolley and is of less diameter in cross-section at its center than at its ends, so that should the trolley leave. 7 5 its wire the roll VF will come in contact with said Wire and tend to again center the trolley under the wire, and this is further facilitated by the star-wheels in that they serve to prevent the roll F from passing beyond certain limits sidewise.

The star-wheels are here shown as having openings K in each of their points for the purpose of lightening the same; but it is obvious that these wheels might be made of sheet metal, and it is also obvious that the roll F and brackets may be omitted and the star-wheels j ournaled upon the outside of the fork upon the bolt 0, or a bridge maybe substituted for the roll F, which would make the completed device of less weight.

One of the advantages of this improvement is that when the trolley passes under an arch or bridge Where the feed-wire is secured to a housing and is of less height from the road- 9 5 bed of the car than is usually the case at other points of the line, thus depressing the trolley-arm, the star-wheels will be swung downward relative to the point of contact between the feed-wire and the trolley-wheel, 10o

a trolley-wheel journaled on the bolt, diverging brackets secured to the bolt at an angle to the fork, a second bolt connecting the brackets, a secondary trolley-Wheel journaled on the second bolt between the brackets and star-wheels journaled on the second bolt outside the brackets, as and for the purpose described.

2. In a trolley, a fork, a bolt secured thereto, a trolley-wheel journaled on the bolt, diverging brackets secured to the bolt at an angle to the fork, a second bolt connecting the brackets, a secondary trolley-wheel journaled on the second bolt between the brackets, star- Wheels journaled on the second bolt outside the brackets and offsets on the brackets adapted to engage the fork, as and for the purpose described.

3. In a trolley a fork, a trolley-Wheel journaled therein, brackets rigidly secured to said fork at an angle thereto and a secondary trolley-Wheel and a star or guide wheel j ournaled in the brackets whereby the secondary trolley-wheel is normally in contact with the trolley-Wire but when the trolley-Wire becomes lower the secondary trolley-wheel is thrown out of contact, as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto affixed our signatures in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY -F. HENDRICKS. I JAMES H. DENTON.

WVitnesses:

S. S. WILLIAMSON, MARK BUFORD. 

